Easy exercising for the over 50s

October is mental health month, and it’s well-known that exercise can not only have a positive effect on your mental health, but it can also reduce cognitive decline in elderly people.

Walking every day

The easiest way to increase your activity is to go for a walk at a set time every day. This can not only improve your overall fitness, but the fresh air can improve your mood too. If you’ve got a dog, why not let them join you for an extra walk?

Swimming

Even if you never learned how to swim, many swimming pools have lessons that cater for all age ranges and abilities. Swimming is a great form of exercise, because the strain on your joints is reduced by the water supporting your body weight.

Gardening

Gardening is another great way of burning calories whilst improving your mental health! Did you know that spending 30 minutes digging up weeds can burn around 250 calories? A vegetable garden could also improve your diet once the vegetables start growing!

Exercising at home

No gym fees, garden space, specialist equipment or even much room required for this one! The NHS website has a PDF that details various exercises that can be completed in your own home. There are exercises that can be done sitting down, and exercises to improve your flexibility, strength and balance too!

At Snowdrop Independent Living we’ve got a range of sports wheelchairs that are great for many different types of exercise. Click here to find out more.